Not all pensioners are entitled to adjustments

Some pensioners think they are entitled to an adjustment just because they are pensioners.

For your information, not all pensioners are supposed to receive adjustments.
First of all, they should have been working during the years 1985-1989 to be entitled.
If they were already receiving a pension then, then they are NOT going to receive any adjustments.

Some pensioners received their pensions through a manually verified process. These pensioners would also not be eligible for any adjustments because their pensions have already been doubly validated and calculated.

Also, some pensioners although working during those years did not work sufficient number of months in any given year to be considered a year of contributions, and therefore any additional contributions will not add to the computation.

So, temper your expectations please.

Some answers to questions

ang tatay ko po ay 78 yrs old nakapag hulog sya sa SSS ng 120 months late 1970's magmula nun hinde na po nya nahulugan.tanong ko po may pension parin po ba sya makukuha? 

For as long as your Dad satisfies the 120 months eligibility requirements, he will have a pension.  His pension should start 6 months after the last payment

54 months na po ako nakapaghulog ng contribution ko na nagend last year January 2015 dahil tumigil po ako sa pagwork at hindi na po ako nakapahulog until this time. Pregnant po ako and my EDD is on October this year. Ask ko lang po if pwede ko po bayaran yung missed monthly payments for me to avail the maternity benefit. 

No retroactive payments allowed, so the answer is NO.

ang mother ko po 60 years old n next year..ngverify po kmi ng contribution nya is 31 monthz pla meaning kulang pa po xa ng 89 monthz..nhinto po kz xa z pghuhulog seen nwwlan xa ng work..anu po pwd nming gwin pra mreach ang 120 mons. Sa loob lng ng izang taon Pra ma-avail for pension??zana mtulungan nyo po ako.. 

Retroactive payments are not allowed so you can only pay forward, this means your mother will not get a pension until after 89+6 months

i was employed at private sector more than 2 years prior to joining govt service with 13 years of service am i qualified for portability law on retirement? also i stop paying SSS premiums can i continue as a member till i reach age 60 to be eligible for pension? i am 54 yrs old 

yes, you will qualify for the portability.

magfifile po ako ng maternity loan. and one of the requirements is L-501. is it necessary po for me if i am not currently working now. and i already resigned to my previous employer?

SSS does not offer maternity loans.

Gaano katagal maActivate ulit yung sss supended pension after mag pass ng ACOP's form sa abroad? 

Depends on when the ACOP was finally accomplished, and depends on the list of things the branch has to do

Good day, tanong ko lang po.. 2 yrs na kasi ako hindi nakabayad ng loan ko mula ng mag resign ako at mag abroad,,, pwed ko pa bang bayaran ng buo pag uwi ko? 

yes, you can pay when you return

SS Manual Verification Results

Heads up.
Some SSS members will be receiving their pension adjustment soonest.
First pass is done.

Update i think will be done in batches, so those of you who were included - you should be getting it really soon.

Answers to some questions

I've asked people not to ask/comment on certain posts because the q/a portion is already very long and is quite difficult to navigate but some people are stubborn;  Some people do not even read the posts - they just ask.  Ah well, here goes 

hi I just want to ask if im lacking contributions can I pay sss voluntary in order to get a loan? on New SSS Salary 

yes, you can.

Good day Ma'am! Nag apply po ako as Self employed member/ VM,I forgot. since the application, I was not able to pay my contribution. Can I still pay contribution for 3 yrs? thank you on Have you stopped paying your SSS contributions? You can continue -

yes, you can. anyone can continue paying contributions.

paano makikita ang record ko sa sss?kasi nawala ng sss id ko. on Have you stopped paying your SSS contributions? You can continue - no swea

you can go to the nearest SSS office with at least two government IDs and you can ask for your Ss number from the front-line SS employee

Hi po. My last payment po last year is nung May pa, but nakapaghulog na po ako this year from jan-april and continue ko na po syang babayaran until makapanganak ako.. Ask ko lang po sana if pwede ko pa pong mabayaran yung June-Dec ko last year, para po sana makadagdag sa maternity benefit ko.. My due date po is on Aug.. thanks po. on Have you stopped paying your SSS contributions? You can continue - no

Basics of the SSS:  Contributions are payable either end of the following month, or if paying by quarter, the the month following the third month.  For example, January contributions are payable in February.  Or, January -March contributions are payable in April.  The exact sked depends on the SS number.  All other payments are not acceptable unless one is an OFW.

Thus, the answer to her query is NO. The June-Dec contributions are therefore already late and NOT acceptable.

Goodpm po Yung father ko po na stop mag work this feb. 58yrs old n po sya. Pede n po ba sya mag pension ngayon? O kailangan po 60 yrs old pa? 20 years n po syang naghuhulog sa sss. Thanks po on Have you stopped paying your SSS contributions? You can continue - no 

Optional Retirement is at age 60. Mandatory retirement is at age 65.  No other age.

I have answered this many times already. As long as a member has already paid at least 120 contributions, he does not need to continue paying.  However, if he is employed; his employer is obliged to pay for his SS until age 65.  If he continues to work beyond age 65.  No payments will be made to SSS and the member can already get his pension.

hi po just want to ask, panu po kung 53 months plang po contribution ko but i want to apply for 2nd loan since i already paid 50% of my first loan, mgkano po magiging 2nd loan ko po? on New SSS

Medyo makulit.  We have already said the loan amount depends on 2 things:  number of contributions (36 for 1 month, 72 for 2 months) and monthly salary credit. So please stop asking how much can be borrowed by a member.  It is simple and directly computable.

Hi madam! can i ask about our unposted loan payment. kasi po sabi ng accountant namin nakapag-bayad cila for that month (Jan.2015) at may record din sila ng transaction & receipt no. ang problema po nmin ay wala kming copy ng mismong resibo.so, how can we complain s sss branch namin about our concern? .. thank you po. on New SSS 

Ask for a copy of the receipt, or at least the OR number so you can inform SSS.  Also check if the loan has been misposted - say to an older loan.

Greetings! Maam, Tanong ko lang po meron po bang epekto sa akin in the future if dati ang contribution ko ay premium (P1,760.00) at ngayun mag continue ako pero mas mababa say(P500.00) ? no employer-employee kasi situation ko ngayun so ako na mag-isa ang mag shoulder ng bayarin. salamat po. on Have y

Maaring maging kalahati ang magiging pension kapag nagkataon.  Huwag na huwag babawasan ang inyong MSC.  Either i-maintain ninyo iyon o dagdagan ninyo.

This is my advice, try to hit the maximum salary credit, which is currently at 16,000. pesos

hello po.. yung daddy ko po kasi dati may sss but when he stop working hindi na nabayaran. so i decided to pay his contribution or continue his sss through may salary deduction it is possible ba na ako nalang magbabayad instead of him. kasi wla na nga sya work. do i need to use RS-5 application? salamat po. on Have

Anyone may pay for anyone's SSS.  Make sure your employer is agreeable because this would be extra work for them.

Good day maam! Pwede po ako nlang mag self-paying sa e -loloan ko?hindi nlang ako dadaan sa employer ko?para madali po? on SSS

No.  

Language is a poor enough means of communication as it is. So we should use all the words we have. 

Caitlín R. Kiernan

Happy birthday, Caitlín R. Kiernan! Before her first novel was published in 1998, the Irish novelist fronted a "goth-folk-blues band" called Death's Little Sister. The band name was inspired by Neil Gaiman and his Sandman series.

Guilty.  I have often been teased because i use words that dance not only in front of my eyes, but expresses sentiments.  High-faluting language, i was teased.  Hardly.  But some words are not really in common use, but they are not high faluting.  Just rarely used.

Saying goodbye to Liwanag Ongchangco Caldito

Liwanag Ongchangco Caldito passed away this week,
She died of complications following infection from surgery, wherein she was implanted with metal.


She worked with special children, especially with deaf children and she can sign fabulously.
I had hope that she would have time to work with my friend, Amihan Abueva - who works with abused children.

But the times were never right, and they never got to meet.

***

Fragments of Memories

Liw was a very responsible person.

I used to think she was very serious.  She taught Sunday school in Baguio when we were there for one long summer for my Dad's recuperation and relaxation (he had bad burns).  I thought then that she ruined my summer Sundays - but of course not.  Actually I only remember one particular session.  I do not like recitations and I have never volunteered to recite or present homework (unless forced -  as my math college classmates would force me)

It is a tad difficult when the teacher is a relative - who expects you to recite. 

SSS ANNOUNCES - LOAN RESTRUCTURING

Do you still have an outstanding loan?  Last chance to avail.

Go to the nearest SSS Office or check the SSS website for details -

Basically, to be eligible - your loan should have been a calamity loan or a slerp, or that you live/or work in an area affected by a catastrophe.  The offer is pretty open, and most members should qualify.

However, be serious with your loan. repayments.  

Salary Loans for SSS

members have asked questions about how much they can loan, citing previous loans.

these members dont want to read.  may i suggest that you read specifics on loans instead of asking the same things over and over again.

loan amounts are based on 2 things, number of contributions and monthly salary credit.
not on the number of loans a member has made.

in short, please read before you ask.

Easter

Happy Easter to all of you.

Easter is  a time to acknowledge God in our lives.
Say hello, and thank you for the gifts of life.

Manual Verification Update

It seems the manual verification and subsequent realignment of pensions need more time so now it cannot be any earlier than April 2016.

So please extend your patience some more.

In the meantime, make sure you continue with your acop.


UPDATE:::  This may have been moved to May.

Answers to some questions asked by some people who DO NOT fully read posts

Hello mam,ask ko lng po. Mgiisang taon n pong d n po aq ngwowork at kasabay po nun d n po aq nghulog ng contribution s sss. At my existing loan po aq.i dont hav enough budget to continue my contribution and pay d loan. Pg bumalik po b aq ng work, at magiging active po ulit ang sss ko do i have to pay the interest at ung naiwan kong loan? Or can i do something pra po d ko n po babayaran ung loan ko nun? (meron po bng i-back to zero contribution ko as a payment s unpaid loan q? Tnx po.mukha po kc matagalan p po aq babalik ng work on	interest on loans have to paid,  naturally this cannot be skipped however, penalties are worse. penalties can be much higher than any interest.
Hi I'm currently employed but I authorized my employer to stop contributing for my SSS since I've already gained 20 years contributions. Is this permissable to the SSS LAw?	The employer can be sued by SSS for non-compliance to the SSS Law. Having 20 years of contributions is NOT a reason to stop contributing.  Additional years add to the pension
Mam im a police officer naksidente po ako s motor nuong feb 23, 2016 d ako nagpaconfine dhil narin s mahal ng hospital bill s perpetual pgpasok k plng ng er ngbill n po ako ng 36 thouzands.mam panu k po un iclaim s sss on	Hospital bills are to be filed with Phil Health NOT SSS.  SSS Sickness claims only pay for the number of days a person is absent WITHOUT PAY
Good day, anong ko lang po kung ok pa ituloy sss ko nagloan po ako 1993. tapos po nagresign ako 1994,malaki po ba penalty?	dapat mabayaran yung loan kasi malaki yung penalty, Mas malaki sa interest.

Something light - notes on NARUTO

Last night i caught a Naruto III episode and it featured Sasuke and Naruto squaring off to fight.

Sasuke, for those of you who have read the manga or seen an eppy or so, is rather handsome, or cute if you were much younger.  He is skilled, talented, and powerful.

Naruto is different.  Naruto is indomitable.
Persistent.  Stubborn.  Will unsurpassed.

We cannot all be like Sasuke but we can all try to be Naruto.

Condolences to the family of Mr. Democrito Mendoza

my condolences to the family of Mr. Democrito Mendoza, former Commissioner of the Social Security System and former Head of the TUCP.  Mr. Democrito Mendoza passed away last 12 January 2016 at the age of 93.

Mrs. Marianita Mendoza, MD was also a former Commissioner of the Social Security System and she is a most wonderful person.

P-NOY vetos 2000-across-the-board-SSS-pension increase

It is official.  There is no across-the-board-increase for SSS pensioners.

P-Noy opted for the SSS long-term financial viability rather than the immediate relief of SSS pensioners.

Are you waiting for the SSS Project on Manual Verification?

If yes, well........   SSS has not yet made any announcements regarding the completion of this project.

Members and SSS-watchers will note that SSS said that the target is end of December.  They really didnt promise it would be finished.  As I remember it, it was a best-effort estimate.

Well, perhaps the project isnt quite finished yet.  

I have always thought that it would be better to get the retirement benefits sans the 5-years  and then have the claim readjudicated once the smoke clears.  At least there would already be a pension.

At any rate, just wait for the SSS announcement.

A friend of mine at SSS tells this story about a pensioner who called..... following-up her adjustment and told her that SHE wanted to kill all the SSS employees,

If you are a pensioner, do not threaten the employees.  If you lose their sympathy, then you cant blame them for losing impetous and zeal in seeking a resolution.  More flies with honey, remember.

A Healthy 2016 to all

Wishing all of you readers a healthy 2016

a CCD party on the 18 of December 2015

Happy Holidays 2015

Happy Christmas and a Healthy 2016!

May you realize your dreams.....

on ACOP

Forgot to do your annual ACOP?

Well, once your pension gets suspended - you have to go visit the nearest SS branch.  Why? 

The nearest SSS branch is a better choice than the bank because you would not have to contend with the bank's schedule (whenever that would be) of informing SSS.

Now, if you finally get to do your ACOP, it will take a minimum of 2 months to reinstate this.  

The reason for the apparent length of time is SSS processes pensions a month ahead of time.  Thus, March pensions are generated and deposited to the banks by February.  So, if you do your ACOP say in January, the earliest your pension will be reinstated is March, and that is - if you are lucky enough to make the cut-off for encoding transactions prior to the processing.

Nothing will make this faster, not even if you complain.  It is a matter of batch processing and cut-offs.  Not even if you call SSS every hour. 

The 8th Lagablab Awards 28th November 2015, Unilab Bayanihan Center

Batch 75 of the Philippine Science High School congratulates all the 8th Lagablab Awardees, and in particular our batchmate, Ma. Asuncion A. Silvestre, MD, FPSNbM for Social Upliftment.

Her advocacy is reflected in Unang Yakap, and this highlights the importance of nursing an infant, importantly, mother's milk for the newborns.

She joins the rest of the batch 75 awardees:

For the 4th Lagablab Awards in 2002
Roselmo Z. Doval-Santos,  MD for Community Service

6th Lagablab Awards in 2008
Ma. Amihan V. Abueva  for Children's Protection Advocacy
Joselito H. Sibayan for Industry - Banking and Finance

7th Lagablab Awards in 2011
Benita S. Padilla, MD for Medicine - Nephrology


The nominations are usually made and seconded by batchmates, which are then reviewed and evaluated by a committee.

Advisory on SSS IDs once again - for Taiwan bound OFWs

just in case you didnt know ....

A Goodreads quote from Agatha Christie

It has been some time ago since i last put in a Goodreads quote.  I've read every Agatha Christie book that has been published.  Here's a quote from her that resonates with me.  

The missing eleven days was a subject of a Doctor Who episode starring David Tennant, my favorite Doc Who.  I still like that episode.  If you get a chance, see it.

Very few of us are what we seem. 

Agatha Christie

December 3, 1926: On this day, Agatha Christie said goodnight to her daughter, left home, and disappeared for eleven days. When she was eventually found at a hotel, she could offer no explanation. The mystery has yet to be solved.

Reminders for New Pensioners

If you recently retired at age 60, please remember that if you get employed, even just part-time, your pension will be stopped for the duration of your employment.

However, at age 65 - it does not matter. You can work but your pension will continue.  Just make sure your employer no longer will deduct for your SSS.

Loans for Lando

Just in case you havent heard, members affected by Lando as defined by the Disaster unit can avail of early renewal of loans for members and 3 months advanced pensions for pensioners.

Go to your nearest SSS office with proof that your area is affected.  Usually a barangay report/certification is sufficient.

Service fees are waived.

Colossal Art - Dongyang woodcarving

it has been some time since i posted something on art
beautiful pieces of art, carved with finess

a sample, then click below to see more

classical art here

Keeping members informed - 30 day sick leave filing extension for OFWs

The SSS Commission has issued this circular to benefit OFWs.
Please take note of the effectivity, 18 August 2015.

Saying goodbye to a cousin, Florencio O. Nepomuceno

Florencio O. Nepomuceno, or Nepo as he was called by some classmates was born in Manila, on the 23rd of February 1933, the second son of Melencio Nepomuceno and Loreto Ongchangco.

He worked at Goodyear Philippines, his first and last job.  There he met Edgar H. Sarte, whom i met and became friends later.  Through him I met Israel, Efren, Felix, and Rey - brothers from Lukban, Quezon.

Manong Enggoy, as he was called by family, was an easy-going and very religious man.  He easily forgave those who cheated him, reviled him, and called him names. He went to mass every Tuesdays and Sundays.  Tuesdays he went to St. Anthony, right beside Loreto Church there in Sampaloc, Manila.

He passed away in the evening of Tuesday, the 7th of October, 2015 at the age of 82.
He will be missed.

Reminders for SSS Members

This is just to remind SSS members what to do NOW, not later

If this sounds "what, not again ......", it is because I think it necessary.

It is only because people tend to let things slide and then have to scurry to accomplish things when the need comes upon them.  Dont wait for that time. Do it now, and at your leisure, and do it at one time.

1. Make sure you have only one SSS number and make sure you have it memorized.

If you have more than one, go to SSS NOW and start the process of combining contributions in each of the SSS number to just one.  SSS usually picks the "oldest" SSS number.  You should memorize your SS number because this is the main number for transacting with SSS.  

2. Ensure that your heirs, whoever they may be, can have access to it should the need arise.

I suggest that you have an envelope, preferably a thick plastic one (so it will last for a bit), and put your legal papers in it.  For example, policy information if you have insurance policies, life plans, and memorial plans.  If you have a will, you can put this is in the same place.  If you are ultra rich, make sure you have a backup copy of your will and all your wills should be dated.  I digressed a bit, but i hope it was helpful.

3. Make sure that your FULL name is correct and is supportable by either a live (active) passport or an NSO-issued birth certificate.

This measure is supposed to prevent/minimize fraud so SSS is quite strict about the matter.

4. Make sure that your DOC - Date of Cover - is CORRECT.

The DOC is the date wherein you first registered in the SSS database, via the initial contribution.

Problems with this will delay processing of your benefits.

5. Take note of all your employers.  Check that all employers are accounted and properly "logged".

This also means that there are no "stray" employers and that all your employers are registered in the database.  This will assist in making your life simpler.  Also, be sure to remember who these are - because, upon retirement you will be asked to write/list them down.  Also check that all contributions of each employer are posted.  Do this now, not tomorrow.

Coloring for Adults - a new? craze? fad?

I was one of those kids who loved to color.

i remember asking for the super duper, double stacked crayons - trademark crayola - for the coloring superiority.  Only crayola provided the best colors then.  i remember this fondly.  i am a little too mature for crayolas now, except when i do the melt-the-crayola-thing on a glass plane for more art work.

i love colors.  you should see my art materials - i have watercolor paints, acrylics, pastels, and oils, and of course, color pencils.  what i dont have is - the time to really indulge.  To do oils, i have to be in a specific frame of mind, and have good light

With the recent coloring craze or fad (how nice for me!), i was steered towards COLORFY, a coloring thingo in the internet. SSS VP Susie Bugante  was the person who showed me how and where.  Fascinating really.  The application is free, but i am feeling inclined to pay to get access to the complex illustrations and additional color.  I have to think about it though.

I just had a debate with my friend Dale from high school who said this application is soo simple - just point and point.  I said it is a beautiful way to stop thinking or to channel thinking into some ... positive thoughts.  I mentioned that coloring manually is fulfilling - of course, you mix the colors manually, overlaying the colors if need be. but you'd have to bring so much stuff.  You need to bring your coloring book (or pad or paper or sketch), your colors, your sharpener, and what not... I also use markers.  Too much equipment to lug around.  I told my friend that in COLORFY - you only need your tablet.

my color stuff in COLORFY is posted in FB but i'll see if i can post some over here.

If you are worried, tense, and need to relax.  I suggest you try this app.  it is a nice one.

Two posts related to SSS in the Philippine Star. Did you read?

One post relates to assets - Here's the link to Philstar 2015/09/26 - sss-has-p18-b-idle-assets-coa

Essentially COA talks about condominiums that SSS owns.

SSS did not buy those condos; they were dacion-en-pago, perhaps from ,,,,
I have friends who rent out their condominiums - and they are very picky about their tenants

market for condos is a tad depressed now.  all this talk of earthquakes, for example.
also, there is a glut of condos in the market



The other post is related to pensioners -Here's the link - Philstar - 2015/09/26 -> sss-underpaid-171-pensioners-p3.4-m-2014-coa

Why make an issue of this now?  SSS is trying to settle these accounts bit-by-bit and has recently undertaken a project to address all pensioner concerns on this issue. The project target?  End of 2015


more-later

The O2 Sibs, with Angie and Dino, AND with Jap and Patti

Taken 31 August 2015
on special leave from the hospital

US

Philippine Science Foundation day and Homecoming - 5 September 2015 Saturday

T'was batch 75's 40th but the silver jubilarians were batch 90.  Batch 90 catered.

However, our batch had already learnt its lessons and we brought food and drinks so were not dependent on their food.  I dont know who, if any, queued for food.  I wish to thank the group of Benita, Inday, Janet and whoever else brought food for the batch.  The guys, as usual, brought liquor, wine, brandy, and beer.  When Benita told me of their plan, I told myself I would bring some pica-pica food like lumpiang shanghai .... but i got hospitalized and didnt have enough time to make arrangements.  Besides, my brother was returning to the USA soon after i was released from the hospital (but i had to continue meds at home).

i just edited a few things first, i havent fully recovered - that's for sure... am making gross mistakes...

I wish to thank our waiter who brought several platefuls of food from batch 90's bounty/largesse.

i had plans about buying food from the stations but as late as past 6, there was still no food.  why?
i have no idea.

They ran out of ice, and the heat was stifling.  I had my Tshirt in my bag, but was happy i was wearing a cool blouse.  They also ran out of cold non-alcoholic drinks like water (yes, even water)

and much, much later, some of the guys had met a batch....90? lady who was wearing a black sexy blouse with her midriff showing.  I always did say that the guys had an eye for the ladies....

more later....

present from batch 75 - in no particular order ---

Judy Uy Holt, Mianne Silvestre (Unang Yakap), Benita Padilla (Kidney Friends), Inday dela Fuente Dans, Amihan Abueva, Kay Uichanco, Janet Calalang Santos, Nimfa Mendoza, Joan Albito-xx, Joy Masanga-xx, Terry Paccarangan, Lerma
Andrew Dimacali, Sonchy Asuncion, Gardee Estacio, Cris Cabalu, Albert Eufemio, Doy Santos, Xen Yazon, Joey Dumandan, Leo Peter Gonzales, Jo Marcelo, Art Morado, Bobby Reyes, Lino Villacastin

the dancers - Dale Amor Villamor, Vee Dulay Perez, Beth San Agustin Yazon, Lito Sibayan and Min, Rosel Doval-Santos and Tess, Sandy Sales, Jason Mayordomo, Jimmy Valena, Alice and Manny Lim

the xx-stand for the married names of the woman.  i dont remember their married name at the time of posting

Familiar steps, maybe?

Standing: Joan, Joy, Inday, Alice (speaking with a hidden Andrew), Jimmy, Vee, Jason, Cris and Seated: Mianne, Judy, me, Amihan, Dale

The batch performers - the finale

The SSS Anniversary, 1 SEPTEMBER 2015

For the first time, in the longest while - SSS had no real announcement on its 58th anniversary.
Many waited for the possible announcement of the additional 2K in pension, but there was dead silence about this from the institution.

Normally, if you are an SSS-watcher like me - you would know that SSS always announces something on their anniversary.  For example, when Neri was president - he opted to give all pensioners a one-time 500-peso gift.

Pension increases are always announced on the SSS anniversary.

But wait, SSS did announce something this year - the increase in funeral benefit - although not everyone would get 40K.



and oh, gsis announced 30k as their new funeral benefit

Monte Vista at Sariaya, Quezon

A 3-day weekend trip.  21-23 August 2015.  There were three cars, my car - which our eldest drove.  our youngest crv which she drove, and my sister-in-law's van which our nephew drove.

We occupied two adjoining cottages, enjoying the shared back veranda that overlooked what we laughingly called a moat.  There was a small romantic hut (well, we were a family group - but a honeymooning couple might enjoy it) and there was a swing - like the ones we had at College of the Holy Spirit (Mendiola) back in my grade school days.

We went to Sariaya, Quezon for a spot of the beach.  It was short walk - about 10 steps - to the beach.

Very nice place, i definitely recommend it. Twas a windy and rainy weekend (Ineng was battering Luzon), and i enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline.  As usual, it reminded me of the poem of John Masefield ...." I must go down to the seas again....", and in fact, i recited it as the waves lapped against the shore.

The rooms were clean, the decor Filipino, and there was cable. The a/c was in excellent condition and there is only one thing i have to suggest - and that is that they equip the cottage with faucets near the stairs so that the sand does not track into the cottage.

The food was delish, and very Filipino. The veggies were fresh, in fact - they were freshly picked from their gardens.  You could taste the freshness - simply cooked food was great!

You ought to go, and enjoy the beach, the sun, and the local sites, and local delicacies - and if you were into cooking, you could play at cooking.

My brothers and nephews played poker several nights, with the winnings changing each night.

I caught up with prayers and meditations, and generally rested.

We were able to visit 2 churches.  The cathedral and a local church.

We bought lukban sausages, of course!

And though there was breakfast, we also bought delicious tapa. yummy.

and i didnt know how sick i really was ............

pics to follow......

Corregidor: A Trip to the Past

I encourage you to visit Corregidor.  It is an unspoilt beauty, very rough edges - with weapons of war.  Nature and men. Juxtapositions.

Battery. Huge guns.  Heavy artillery.  Caves of the Dead.  Forests.  Monkeys.  Lizards.
Skittering animals.

Memorials.  Honors.  Agonies Remembered.

The white altar was the only one i remembered from the past.  It seemed I had visited that place with my Dad, who was a WWII veteran.  The white dome, the shaft of sunlight.  that stung my memory.

Visit.
Remember the past. Remember the price of freedom.

Enjoy the beach.  Have a barbeque.  Enjoy the pool, too.
and if you are into it, there's a zip line.

the only thing i have to suggest - make it more friendly to individuals who are disabled.
soldiers may want to visit, and see the weapons of war then....

Pictures to follow.  (i have to download from my cameras).

Answers to some questions to a post

for some people who do not pay attention to instructions:

someone asked if they can continue the payments of a deceased member so his wife can have a pension.

No. If the member is deceased, no payments are allowed after death.  The member is already dead.

There should be funeral benefits - 20 thousand, and since the member had payments, there would be death benefits.  The person asking the question did not say how many payments had been made so I cannot say if the widow is entitled to a pension just the same.

Someone asked about gaps in contribution payments

Let me stress again that SSS does not accept retroactive payments. Once a payment is delayed, it creates a gap. It is called a gap because there is a space instead of a payment.  Ergo, a gap is at least one month and can be as long as several months (or years for that matter).  There are no SE or VM late payments except those for OFWs.  OFWs can pay the entire year before the year is up.

On quesions on penalty and interest on loans -

There is already a post on this.  However.  Note that all delayed payments are charged penalties, which is 1% per month - so if a payment is skipped, that payment will have penalties charged until it is paid.

Someone mentioned migrating payments to VM and selecting lower payments

There is no such banana in SSS. Payments are NOT migrated.  Payments are simply recorded as dictated by the status.  So payments made as an employee stay are reflected as employee-employer payments and voluntary payments are recorded as is.  As previously mentioned, do NOT decrease payments as it will affect pension computations to a lower amount.

a Robert Frost quote

A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. 

Robert Frost

August 1, 1915: Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken was first published in the Atlantic Monthly 100 years ago today. While the poem works as a metaphor for the weight we put on turning points in our lives, Frost later insisted the verses were simply inspired by a literal walk in the woods.

i love a lot of Robert Frost's poems, 

Mending Wall, 
The Road Not Taken, 
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

 - to name three favorites.

stop asking questions on post dated 13 SEPTEMBER 2012

I DONT KNOW WHY SOME PEOPLE CANNOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.

STOP ASKING QUESTIONS ON THAT POST BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER POST, SAME TOPIC.  POST THERE.

TOO MANY QUESTIONS ON THAT POST.

Amadeo, Cavite: 1 August

Amadeo, Cavite.

a place of childhood memories.

My cousins have a place there where Ama (Dr. Bibiano Angkaw, MD (+)) had his practice.

In the days of my youth, there was a loom, where Aling Isay did her weaving - and where i learnt to do a bit.  It was an experience - there was a method, and the tinny patch i was able to weave will remain in my memory.

We spent summers there when we were small, and the Church seemed miles away .... and there was a bakery right beside the house,. i remember Sundays (we had to wake up early to go to church) and the smell of baking would waft though our noses as we walked past it to go to church - making us doubly eager to finish the mass and mess with the baking.  And yes, we were allowed to bake a few loaves.

The Church now is just a few steps away.  Truly, a child's perspective is quire different from an adult's view.

my cousins had a farm and summers came with the fruits - supsupins, or small delish mangoes would come in bushes or kaengs, as we call it.  And each of us would get one kaeng each (which i suppose would contain about 100 small mangoes) and we would commence to have an eating contest - first one to finish the kaeng's contents.  Not a single one of us finished one bushelful, but it was not for the lack of trying.  those mangoes were delicious.  they still are.

i wanted the windows open (it was cold so some of us felt the windows should be closed) because i like the wind to blow in and freshen the room.

they had a pump and a water tower, so when the water flowed in, someone would have to pump the water into the tower.  i remember a particular warm day when my cousins and i thought we would do the duty.  we all got wet, but we did the job.  One of my cousins who did the duty now lives in Canada and the other cousin is a physician, like his father before him.  He practices here in MetroManila. 

more later....

Reminder only: Always use your SS Number when transacting with SS

Actually, this is a repeat of a reminder post here.

When transacting with any agency or entity, it is always wise to use your ID number.

Thus, with SSS - you need to always use your SS number.

On the other hand, do not publicly reveal your SS number.

So hope this reminder helps you transact with SSS

An important thing to also remember is that the SSS frontline will NOT entertain you without an SSS number, unless you dont know your SS number and in fact, wish to know.
If that is your problem, make sure you bring at least 2 government-issued identification cards (of course, with picture), and your birth certificate.

Do you wish to complain your employer for non-remittance of SSS premiums?

many employees are afraid to report their employer to SSS
the reason?  they may get laid off as a consequence of reporting the non-remittance


what you need to do is bring copies of your payslip showing that your employer has deducted sss contributions and ask sss for a print of your contributions that would show no contributions for that period.

that is sufficient proof for non-remittance.

****

Have you forgotten your SSS Number?

If you have stopped paying a ways before, and you have forgotten your SSS number and you want to know how to continue paying ....

very easy, go to the SSS office most convenient or nearest to you, armed with 2 IDs, preferably those issued by the government (driver's license, voter's ...) and ask for your SS number.  You might want to bring an NSO-issued birth certificate as well - since birthdays can be used as tie-breaker if you have a popular name.

otherwise, the SSS front line will not give you your SSS number.

if you are asking someone else to do it for you, make sure the person has 2 government issued IDs as well and proper authorization from you

ALSO, go ahead and get your UMID ID.  If this is first UMID ID, it is free - otherwise there is a fee. Last I heard it was 350.oo pesos for reissuance of ID

Doing SSS transactions at the MALL

Below is a list of SSS Offices at the Malls and the services they offer

for OVERSEAS PENSIONER

Just a little update.... but i think i need to get a bigger version.  will repost

Other SSS Loans

Did you know that there are other SSS Loans ?
Business Loans - for the entrepreneurs among you
Direct Housing - for OFWs
House Repairs - Direct and through Financial Partners


I will present these if there are any browsers interested -
let me know if there is any interest

Alab - Chef Tatung's new place near Shakey's Morato

We finally got to try Chef Tatung's new resto near Tomas Morato last night.  I had eaten at Chef Tatung's place in Sikatuna several times before and liked his food but found his BGC place to far so regretfully, we dropped eating at his place.  We - my close friends - are Kyusi kids and dont like driving through endless traffic just to eat out.  There are, of course, exceptions.

 My balikbayan cousins, Baby Pilar and hubby Phil - chose 2 unusual dishes, one with chicken, the other with shrimps and coconut noodles. twas very good.  i will try to cook a reasonable facsimile sometime and see if i can approach the flavor.

Our chosen appetizer was ampy (short for ampalaya, that is, bitter lemons), with radish, red onions, and thinly sliced tomatoes, and a very good blend of vinegar.  really very good vinegar.  i will try and blend my vinegar similarly.  this was an excellent appetizer indeed.

my choice -- morcon and crispy pata. let me tell you about it.....

i have to say that the family recipe for morcon beats his by a mile, at least.
but then, ours is a classic recipe and his was meat with a boiled egg inside and tomato-based sauce.
very tender though.

his crispy pata had lemon grass  cooked with it, which reduced the "umay" factor but also changed its classic favor.

the bibingka was fine and his chocnut cake was the same - as when he was in Sikatuna,,,, same recipe no doubt.

Good news - SSS increases Funeral Benefit effective for contingencies on or after 1 August 2015

The new computation of the funeral grant is as follows

Examples:

if your AMSC is 15,000 and you have worked for 300 months, then the funeral grant for you would be:

20,000 + (0.5%  x  300 x 15,000 )  = 20,000.00 + 22,500 = 40,000. because the maximum is 40,000.00

wondering about the delay in the delivery of the SSS UMID id?

Yes.  Well, yes. SSS stopped production last 16 March due to negotiation failure/breakdown.

They recently resumed production 16 June 

They are scheduled to finish their backlog by August.

So for example, you had your picture captured last April 16, you should get your ID released this week.

i hope they keep to their schedule.

PNB loans for SSS pensioners.

here's the Star take on this piece of news

Interest and Penalty Answer on SSS Salary Loan Question

There have been many questions on interest and penalty on SSS Loans
Instead of answering these questions individually, i have decided to post this little tidbit for their information.

If there are specific questions on this answer, please comment -

Answer taken from the SSS Website


INTEREST AND PENALTY

The loan shall be charged an interest rate of 10% per annum based on diminishing principal balance, and shall be amortized over a period of 24 months.

Interest of 10% shall continue to be charged on the outstanding principal balance until fully paid

Any excess in the amortization payment shall be applied to the outstanding principal balance.

Loan amortization not remitted on due date shall bear a penalty of 1% per month until the loan is fully paid.

***********************************************************************

you can also find this at the back page of the salary loan application form

register as an online member so you can request for a SOA

interest and penalties change on a daily basis, on a straight-line method

If you wish to read more on salary loan, read more on the SSS website
if you have problems reaching the sss website, drop a comment so i can inform the sss

click here to access loans on the sss website

more about the SSS Pensioner loan from PNB

here's a follow-up story regarding the PNB loan
this is from Businessmirror, page b2, 18 June 2015

Apocalypse Now? some viral post evidence....................

you dont think so?

some visual proofs that the end may be nearer than what we think if we DO NOT CHANGE

click here

TABULAR SUMMARY OF SSS BENEFITS

Just a simple tabular summary of SSS benefits -  as released by CCD, PASED

This table will allow you, the readers to look at the benefits at a glance.

All computations are based on the MSC or monthly salary credit.

It must be remembered that SSS does not allow huge jumps in the MSC from one period to the other so that the ANC coverage is very misleading and rather irresponsible (from minimum to maximum was the example) - but this is simply my personal opinion.  This is already discussed in another post and will not be repeated here.

Some members who think they are very hip in mathematics and finances often demand interest payments on contributions.  May I ask these members to please temper their arrogance and think about not being too da*n selfish.  They should also think about trying to get a private insurance policy - on retirement - and see if they can get a rate as good as that of the SSS.

Most people think that SSS exists for themselves.  They demand huge increases without thinking of the consequences.

Wake up people.
SSS is a form of social taxation.  The higher paying members subsidize the lower paying members.

Friends and acquaintances who are rich and famous shrug off SSS pensions, calling it useless.
Money, my dear friends, is never useless

note:  there is an increase in funeral grant that is not yet reflected in this summary

you can find this same table on the sss website


click here to view the table on the sss website